August, 2015 - sparkleshinylove

Roxymandy August 19, 2015

My Outfit for the She Who Hunts Finds Blogger Challenge!

Last week I headed to Dixie Outlet Mall to hunt for my outfit for the She Who Hunts Finds blogger challenge. I had a great time shopping for a fall outfit because all of the stores at the mall were starting to bring out some great items for the change in seasons, and I was excited to hunt for some great deals.

By the way, if you are in the mall between August 21st and September 6th, visit the Discover your Wild Side in-mall activation between Laura and Urban Planet to take a photo as your animal!

With a $200 gift card in tow, I shopped for hours picking up things for my blogger challenge outfit, and then obviously I found all kinds of other clothes I just had to have at the mall as well.

Along the way I took note of what kind of deals I was getting at the mall, and I needed to make sure I stayed within my $200 budget.

Last week I took the Wild Side quiz at www.DixieWildSide.com which revealed my shopping persona – The Lioness. I also created a mood board which you will see I ended up staying true to.

My first purchase which I centred my whole outfit around were a great pair of booties from Sirens. At only $39.99 they were a great find, plus I signed up for their text alerts to receive another $5 off!

From there I headed to Guess where I picked up a great pair of grey skinny jeans regularly priced $98 for only $35 dollars! It was a great deal, and I love the jeans.

I bought a classic white t-shirt from Bluenotes for only $9.99, but I really needed a few more items to take this outfit into fall.

I love the Winners at Dixie Outlet Mall. There are so many great finds! I found this amazing cozy sweater that fit just right, regularly priced at $99.99 for only $49.00.

The clutch bag was an absolute must. I thought to myself, will this be too much fringe with the booties? And then I thought I couldn’t pass up a faux snakeskin/fringe combo and I headed straight to the check out! The clutch regularly retailed for $75, and I picked it up for $39.99.

To finish off the outfit I went to Claire’s and picked up a long necklace with turquoise accents to compliment the outfit for only $14.25.

Voila – my fall outfit for the She Who Hunts Finds blogger challenge at Dixie Outlet Mall was complete! I really love this outfit. It reflects exactly what my fall style will be – cozy sweaters, great boots, skinny jeans, and lots of fringe!

Actually if I was going to name this outfit, I would totally call it Fifty Shades of Fringe! Ok, is it bad I just named my outfit? Anyway, overall I saved $153.00 by buying this outfit at Dixie Outlet Mall. How amazing is that?

Check the blog next week for the grande finale – a $200 gift card giveaway to Dixie Outlet Mall for one lucky reader!

Roxymandy August 18, 2015

Review of Kiehl’s Super Fluid UV Defense SPF 50+

This is my second SPF I’ve picked up specifically for my face this summer, but this one seems to be my favourite compared to the other one I gave a try.

Kiehl’s Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ protection has a very light consistency. It’s bright white in color, but once rubbed into the skin it blends in easily to a matte finish. Sometimes I find that sunscreens make my face look a little grey, but this one didn’t have an effect at all. I didn’t feel like it was greasy at all, and I really forgot I was wearing it.

It has antioxidant Vitamin E to help prevent free-radical damage, and it’s oil-free, fragrance free, parabin free and color free.

It says it’s water resistant for 80 minutes, and I believe that be to be true because I was splashed in the face with water many times and I still didn’t burn!

I really liked that it was gentle enough that I didn’t have a reaction to it or break out at all. It easily slid into my routine.

It has the “sunscreen” smell to it, but other than that no other noticeable fragrance.

Overall I would purchase this product again, although I do wish it was tinted so it would add coverage to my face. I actually liked the formula of the L’Oreal BB SPF and I really loved that it was tinted, but this sunscreen seemed to do a better job of protecting my skin and I really liked the consistency. This one can very easily be worn under make up since is non-greasy as well.

My face didn’t even get a tan when I wore this sunscreen, and even after being in water and sweating it didn’t let me down.

For more information on Kiehl’s Super Fluid UV Defense SPF 50+, visit their website here.

Roxymandy August 17, 2015

Favourite Rompers for Fall

I love wearing dresses for a night out, but lately rompers are taking over my closet.

Dressing up a romper with a pair of heels is as easy as wearing a great dress, but can look a little more stylish and trendy. As we head into fall there are some great long sleeved rompers to do the season transition.

This romper I’m wearing from H&M is perfect for a night out, and I wouldn’t pair it with anything but heels! Something tells me throwing flip-flops on with it just wouldn’t be the same effect as heels.

Rompers are one of those things you often need to try on as they can be a finicky fit. I have found that rompers with long sleeves are a bit more forgiving in the waist, so every one that I have tried on seems to fit well. Here are a few more of my favourite picks for fall rompers!

Band of Gypsies Long Sleeve Romper

ASTR Surplice Front Romper

Monki Bell Sleeved Play Suit

Forever 21 Denim Utility Romper

Urban Outfitters Lucca Couture Silky Open-Back Romper

AEO Patternd Wrap Romper

Roxymandy August 15, 2015

Our New Home Entertaining Plans + Join Me at the RBC First Home Twitter Chat

When we bought a new home a couple years ago, we had no idea what we were doing! We knew which house we desperately wanted, and we loved the location it was in, but we didn’t know the in’s-and-out’s of how to work with the builder.

I really loved the idea of having the kitchen the heart of the house. I decided we would make some changes to the kitchen to make the space larger. We wanted to move the L-shaped counter against the wall so we could have a larger space, and so we could have room for a very large table where we could fit all of our family and friends.

After fighting with the sales agent to do this and being turned down, our builder decided to work with us and did everything we asked to create the perfect entertaining space!

We always imagined having people over and settling in the kitchen at our giant table (it’s just over 9 feet!), and it all came to fruition.

In our experience no matter what kind of party you are having, everyone somehow ends up in the kitchen when you are entertaining. This is why making it the focal point was so important to us. We love to entertain, so when purchasing our new home the floor plan was an important part of making our choice in a home.

One of my favourite parties after we moved in was a wine and cheese party with my girlfriends. I paired all of the wines with the cheeses laid out on our table, and everyone ended up just sitting down and socializing at the table having a great time!

How about you? Did you think about entertaining when buying your last home, or will that be something you think about the next time around?

Comment below to let me know!

Join myself at the RBC First Home Twitter Chat and speak to RBC experts who can answer home buying questions!

The Chat is on August 18th at 8:30pm EST, and you can submit your home-buying questions by using the hashtag #RBCFirstHome

RBC has invited a lawyer, realtor, design, home builders, and home mortgage experts to participate as well

Chat participants have a chance to win 1 of 5 $100 gift cards, and you can even win win 1 of 3 $100 Visa Gift cards before the party even takes place by signing up by clicking on the widget link below!

RBC First Home Chat August

Disclosure: I am part of the RBC First Home campaign with Influence Central and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Roxymandy August 14, 2015

Fringed Boots for Fall

Last week I paid a visit to Mapleview Centre for a bit of shopping, and I came across the cutest faux-suede fringed ankle boots at Forever 21! These will be a staple piece in my fall outfits over the next few months. At only $45.50 I was very happy with the price as well!

It seemed like fringe was going to be a strong part of the summer festival trend and that would be it, but it’s now translating into another season of wear with vests, skirts, shoes, and anything else you can add a fringe too.

Boots like these are practical enough that you can do errands in, but they are stylish enough to wear with a dress or skirt.

I scooped up the last pair these boots at the Forever 21 at Mapleview Centre and I couldn’t find them online either, so I’ve added a few more styles by other brands below in case you love this trend as much as I do!

Sam Edelman Louie Back Suede

Steve Madden Realie Boot

Zara Leather Flat Booties with Fringe

Aldo Casalnuoyo Ankle Boots

Kristen Cavallari Charm Fringe Bootie